Seminar jointly organised by

Department of Civil Engineering and CICID, HKU

12 Aug 2013 (Mon)

Modelling of Building Energy Use

and Carbon Emissions
Dr. Sam C. M. Hui
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Hong Kong
(cmhui@hku.hk)
Aug 2013
Contents

• Introduction
• Building Energy Simulation
• Simulation Tools
• Modelling Process
• Assess Carbon Emissions
Introduction

• Energy is important to every society

• Economic, environmental & social impacts
• It is also a key issue for sustainable development
• Use energy …
• Consume finite fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas)
• Cause air pollution & environmental damage
• Contribute to global warming
• Cost money
(* Source: IEA, 2011. Key World Energy Statistics 2011, International Energy Agency,
Paris. Available at www.iea.org)
 ***Other includes industrial waste and non-renewable municipal waste

(* Source: IEA, 2011. Key World Energy Statistics 2011, International Energy Agency,
Paris. Available at www.iea.org)
 Energy efficiency potential used by sector:
a huge opportunity going unrealised

The building sector has the largest potential

(Source: Fatih Birol, Chief Economist, International Energy Agency, www.iea.org)
 120
Commercial 商業

100
End-use Energy (1000 TJ)
能源最終用途 (千兆焦耳)

Transport 交通
80

60
Residential 住宅

40

Industrial 工業
20

0
84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09

Year 年份

(Data source: EMSD) Energy end-use in Hong Kong by sectors, 1984-2009

 Energy end‐use by sector (2009)
Residential
19%
Transport
32%

Industrial
9% Commercial
40%
Energy end-use in Hong Kong
(Data source: EMSD)
 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission trends of Hong Kong 1990-2008

Electricity Generation

(Source: www.epd.gov.hk)
 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of Hong Kong 2008

(Source: www.epd.gov.hk)
 Timeline of building energy efficiency regulations in Hong Kong
• 1991 Feasibility study on introduction of OTTV control in Hong Kong
• 1995 Building (Energy Efficiency) Regulations (Cap. 123 sub. Leg. M); HK OTTV
1991-1995 Code of Practice

• 1998 Lighting Code and AC Code; launch of the Energy Efficiency Registration Scheme
for Buildings (voluntary)
• 1999 Electrical Code
1996-2000
• 2000 Lift and Escalator Code; Revised OTTV limits

• 2004 Performance-based Code; Guidelines on Energy Audit

2001-2005
• 2005 Updated edition of the five codes

• 2007 Updated edition of the five codes; Updated Guidelines on Energy Audit
2006-2010
• 2010 Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance (Cap. 610) (mandatory)

• 2011 Revised OTTV limits

• 2012 Full operation of the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance (including Building
2011-Now Energy Code and Energy Audit Code)
(Source: EMSD) (See http://www.beeo.emsd.gov.hk for details)
(Source: www.emsd.gov.hk)
Building Energy Simulation

• Energy performance of buildings is usually

complicated and requires detailed analysis to
determine the characteristics
• Building energy simulation and modelling
techniques are often used to study it so as to
support decisions for building design,
operation and management
 Ways to study a system

System

Experiment Experiment
with the actual with a model of
system the system

Physical Mathematical
model model

Analytical
Simulation
solution
Building Energy Simulation

• Simulation: (模擬)
• From latin “simulare” – to pretend
• Using a mathematical model of a system to predict
its output for a given input
• Asking “what if?” within an imaginary framework
• To simulate => to imitate the operations of real-
world facilities or process
• Examples:
• Computer simulation games like “SimCity”
• A child who role plays with toys
SimCity of Hong Kong’s buildings
Building Energy Simulation

• Simulation
• The process of developing a representative model
of a system and using it to analyze and predict
system behaviour and performance
• Modelling
• Deals primarily with the relationship between
actual dynamic processes and models
• Usually involves iterations
 Physical Processes

Building Simulation

Building Performance

Design Performance
Decisions Optimisation
* Simulation enables the performance of the building to be
established before critical design decisions are taken,
enabling optimum building performance to be obtained
Key factors influencing energy consumption
(Source: Energy Efficiency in Buildings: CIBSE Guide F)
Energy flow and concept in buildings
 Components of building cooling load

Internal
External loads
loads

+ Ventilation load & system heat gains

 Building energy simulation process

HVAC air systems HVAC water systems

Energy storage

Thermal Zone Systems Plant

(air-side) (water-
side &
refrig.)

Energy input Energy input by HVAC Energy input

by appliance air/water systems by HVAC plant
Building Energy Simulation

• Building energy simulation can be used to:

• Assess building design (design evaluation tool)
• Calculate energy saving or performance (building
energy analysis tool)
• Evaluate energy cost (economic analysis tool)
• Design & optimise building systems (system
design/optimization tool)
• Satisfy energy code (code compliance tool)
• Support green building assessment (green design
tool)
Building Energy Simulation

• Model existing buildings

• Useful for “energy performance contracts”
• Help improve the bldg’s operation/control
• Evaluate energy conservation measures (ECM)
• Estimate energy savings
• Study the costs and benefits
• Provide info to design, retrofit & operation
• Comply with building energy code
• Such as performance-based building energy code
Building Energy Simulation

• For green building assessment (e.g. LEED)

• Using ASHRAE 90.1 Building Energy Standard to
check compliance and determine credits
• Energy cost budget (ECB) method
• To determine minimum compliance
• Design Energy Cost <= Energy Cost Budget
• Appendix G: building performance rating method
• To rate the energy efficiency of building designs that
exceed the requirements of the standard 90.1
• % improvement = (Baseline – Proposed) / Baseline x
100%
Building Energy Simulation

• What can building simulation do?

• Compare different design options
• Based on energy performance, peak demand, and cost-
benefit implications
• Predict the dynamic response and performance of
buildings
• Evaluate complex, innovative and ‘green’
technologies
• Such as natural ventilation, advanced controls operation
and passive design
Building Energy Simulation

• Further reading:
• Understanding the Energy Modeling Process:
Simulation Literacy 101,
www.buildinggreen.com/features/mr/sim_lit_101.cfm
• Energy Conservation Building Code Tip Sheet:
Energy Simulation, www.emt-
india.net/ECBC/EnergyEfficiencyinHospitals_4Mar2009/T
ips/EnergySimulation.pdf
• Thomas, P. C., 2002. Building energy
performance simulation - a brief introduction,
DES 17, In BDP Environment Design Guide
 Simulation Tools

• Types of building simulation tools

• Simplified software for overall energy consumption
assessment, peak temperature prediction, cooling/heating
load calculations
• Sophisticated software for hourly simulation of heat, light
& air movement
• Complex specialist software, for lighting, computational
fluid dynamics (CFD), 2- and 3-dimensional conduction
calculations
• Integrated design and analysis systems which combine a
number of the above categories
 ENERGY-10

DOE-2
Solar-5 IES-VE ESP-r

Building Energy
Simulation Software TRNSYS

E-20-II & HAP

EE4
TRACE 700
 Simulation Tools

• Many software tools in the market

• From simplified to complicated one
• Select according to the task
• For beginners, we recommend
• Energy-10, HAP, TRACE 700, eQUEST
• For sophisticated study, may consider
• DOE-2, EnergyPlus, ESP-r, TRNSYS, IES-VE
• Further information:
• Building Energy Software Tools Directory (by US-DOE)
• http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/
 Simulation Tools

• Examples of building energy simulation tools

• Energy-10
• http://www.sbicouncil.org/energy-10-software
• VisualDOE (based on DOE-2.1e)
• http://www.archenergy.com/products/visualdoe/
• http://gundog.lbl.gov/dirsoft/d2whatis.html
• MIT Design Advisor (do online simulation)
• http://designadvisor.mit.edu/design/
 ENERGY-10 Design Tool

Example: Energy-10 ENERGY-10

ENERGY-10 focuses on the first phases (conceptual design)

Activity
Phase Develop reference case Tool
Develop low-energy case
Develop Brief Rank order strategies ENERGY-10
Initial strategy selection
Set performance goals

Review goals Preliminary team

Pre-design Review strategies
meetings
Set criteria, priorities

Develop schemes
Schematic Design Evaluate schemes ENERGY-10
Select scheme
Confirm that
Design Development component performances EnergyPlus
are as assumed or other
HVAC simulation
and tools
Construction Documents

Example: Energy-10
• Creates two building descriptions based on five inputs and
user-defined defaults.
•Location For example:
•Building Use
•Floor area apply
•Number of stories Reference Case
•HVAC system
R-8.9 walls (4" steel stud)
R-19 roof
No perimeter insulation
Gets you Conventional double windows
Conventional lighting
started Conventional HVAC
Conventional air-tightness
quickly. Uniform window orientation
Conventional HVAC controls
Conventional duct placement
ENERGY-10 Design Tool
ENERGY-10
Low Energy Case
R-19.6 Walls (6" steel stud with 2" foam)
R-38 roof
R-10 perimeter insulation
Best low-e double windows
Efficient lights with daylight dimming
High efficiency HVAC
Leakage reduced 75%
Passive solar orientation
Improved HVAC controls
Ducts located inside, tightened
 ENERGY-10 Design Tool

Example: Energy-10 ENERGY-10

2,000 m2 office building

ANNUAL ENERGY USE
100 96.5
Reference Case

80 Low-Energy Case
kWh / m²

60
47.3

40 35.1

27.4
22.7
20 15.1

6.7 6.9
4.1
1.5
0
Heating Cooling Lights Other Total
 ENERGY-10 Design Tool

Example: Energy-10 ENERGY-10

RANKING OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT STRATEGIES

Duct Leakage 115.04

Glazing 72.49
Insulation 57.33
Energy Efficient Lights 56.56
HVAC Controls 48.43
Air Leakage Control 45.92
Shading 45.24
Daylighting 38.84
High Efficiency HVAC 37.82
Economizer Cycle -4.02
Thermal Mass -6.23
Passive Solar Heating -57.14

-100 -50 0 50 100 150

Net Present Value, 1000 $
 ENERGY-10 Design Tool

Example: Energy-10 ENERGY-10

Sample - Lower-Energy Case

40

50

Temperature, ?
Energy, kWh

20

0
0

-50 -20
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average Hourly HVAC Energy Use by Month

Heating Cooling Inside T Outside T

 ENERGY-10 Design Tool

Example: Energy-10 ENERGY-10

Components of Life-Cycle Cost

1200000

1000000

800000
present value, $K

600000

400000

200000

-200000

-400000

-600000

Building 1 Building 2 1 minus 2

 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
 DOE-2
Example: VisualDOE
MIT Design Advisor, http://designadvisor.mit.edu/design/
Modelling Process

• How to perform building simulation?

• Select and master how to use a program
• Represent the building and HVAC systems
• Construct the simulation model
• Prepare the input data
• Run and control the program
• Interpret the results, analysis and reporting
• e.g. determine energy and cost savings
 Weather
data

Building Simulation tool Simulation

description (computer program) outputs
- physical data - energy consumption (MWh)
- design parameters - energy demands (kW)
- environmental conditions
 Building energy simulation: Inputs and Outputs

INPUTS: OUTPUTS:
- Weather data - Space temperatures
- Building geometry - Surface temperatures
- Construction type - Humidity levels
- HVAC type / usage - HVAC parameters
- Occupancy info - Energy consumption
- Quantity of users - Component
- Lights - System
- Equipment - Whole-building
- Usage
Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO)
Modelling Process

• Building energy simulation is based upon

• Load calculation – thermal or HVAC
• Determine peak HVAC design loads
• Energy calculation – energy to meet the loads
• Estimate annual energy requirements
• Time intervals
• Full hour-by-hour (8,760 hours = 365 x 24)
• Simplified hourly: e.g. one day per month
• Bin method or degree days
Major elements of building energy simulation
 Input Simulation process Output

Climatic data

LOAD Bldg. load

Bldg. Info.

AC system
AC system energy
info. SYSTEMS

AC plant
Plant info. energy
PLANT

Econ. Info. Econ.

ECONOMICS results

Information flow in building simulation

Make things as simple as possible,
and no simpler. (Albert Einstein)
Combine several rooms into one zone
Assess Carbon Emissions

• Carbon is frequently used as shorthand for

either carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbon dioxide
equivalents (CO2-e) of greenhouse gases
• Used as an indicator for environmental impact or
sustainability level
• Carbon footprint
• Measur the exclusive direct (on-site, internal), and
indirect (off-site, external, embodied, upstream,
and downstream) CO2 emissions of an activity, or
over the life cycle of a product, measured in kg
 Urban cities and their ecological footprints

Human needs and

development

Supply Waste

Supporting
ecosystems and
resource base
 Carbon footprint of a building and its components

Materials  Electricity 
manufacturing consumption
On‐site fuel 
Materials transport
consumption
Demolition wastes  On‐site waste water 
transport treatment
Building construction
Demolition wastes  On‐site solid wastes 
treatment treatment
Building operation
Industrial processes 
housed in the building
Building renovation

De‐construction
Assess Carbon Emissions

• International standards for carbon footprint

calculation and analysis
• ISO 14040: Life Cycle Assessment - Principles
and Framework
• BSI: PAS 2050 - Specification for the Assessment
of Life-Cycle GHG Emissions of Goods/Services
• WRI/WBCSD: Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• IPCC: 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse
Gas Inventories
 Cradle-to-Grave

Cradle-to-grave is the full Life Cycle Assessment from resource

extraction ('cradle') to use phase and disposal phase ('grave').
(Source: Athena Institute, www.athenasmi.org)
 Transportation
Water use Energy use

Resource Resources
Life Cycle extraction
use
(depletion) Assessment effects

Emission to air Emission to water

Solid wastes

LCA: a methodology for assessing the life cycle

environmental performance of products and processes
(Source: Athena Institute, www.athenasmi.org)
 Life cycle assessment framework

Goal, scope and definition

Inventory analysis Interpretation

Impact assessment

(Source: US-EPA)
Assess Carbon Emissions

• HK’s carbon audit guidelines for buildings to

report on greenhouse gas emissions focus on:
• Physical boundaries (site boundaries of building)
• Operational boundaries (to identify and classify
the activities to determine the scope)
• Scope 1 – direct emissions and removals
• Scope 2 – energy indirect emissions
• Scope 3 – other indirect emissions
• Reporting period (usually one year)
• Collecting data and information to quantify the
greenhouse gas performance
 Scope of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

(Source: UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative, www.unepsbci.org)

 The 5 sectors of ecological footprint (for Hong Kong)

(Source: Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong), www.foe.org.hk)

(Source: http://etool.net.au)
Balancing carbon emissions for zero carbon buildings (ZCB)

Balancing Carbon
Operating energy of  On‐site renewable and 
building generation

Embodied carbon in  Off‐site renewable, 
building materials generation and supply

People, “use” and  Other purchased 
transportation carbon offsets
Zero
“0”
 Allowable emission reduction options for zero carbon buildings

3a: Off‐site generation 3. Off‐site 
3b: Off‐site supply e.g.  renewable / low 
Green Power carbon energy
2a: In building footprint
2b: On land title
2. On‐site renewable / low  2c: Private wire
carbon energy 2d: On‐site generation 
from off‐site resources
Standard

1. Energy Efficiency
Assess Carbon Emissions

• Current limitations
• Unclear definition of ‘zero carbon’
• Lack of scientific assessment methods for carbon
footprint of building projects
• Limited data availability and uncertainty of data
• Complicated process for whole life cycle analysis
• Still weak market demand and awareness
• Future research
• Zero carbon building: definition
• Assessment tool for footprint analyses
 THANK YOU 謝謝

Questions?